Most Popular
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Jimin of BTS, actor Song Da-eun suspected to be dating, again
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What's next for the government's push in quota hike?
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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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Woman falls to death from acquaintance's home after exhibiting ‘unexplained' behaviors
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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-US military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'
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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
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[Graphic News] How much do Korean adults read?
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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Korean firms target EV charging market in US
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Superstar K ballad singer puts on dancing shoes for first time
After playing on the streets of Hongdae for spare change as a struggling troubadour looking to help his single mother and himself make ends meet, former Superstar K4 contestant Hong Dae-kwang is rapidly putting his tough past behind him and looking toward a bright future as a singer.Hong released the second half of his “Silver Lining” album, “The Silver Lining ― Part 2,” on Friday. The new EP features the lead track “Thank You My Love,” and despite being relatively slow-paced, it has the most up
March 21, 2014
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Lady Gaga adds K-pop act Crayon Pop to N. American tour
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― K-pop made fresh inroads Thursday when Lady Gaga revealed that South Korean girl group Crayon Pop will open her upcoming summer concerts in Canada and the United States.“I’m excited to announce June 26 through July 22 of Lady Gaga’s artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball will be opened by CRAYON POP!” the “Mother Monster” announced on her @ladygaga Twitter feed.The candy-colored quintet topped the K-pop charts last year when their danceable ditty “Bar Bar Bar” ― featuring their signature h
March 21, 2014
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SM faces probe over tax evasion
The nation’s largest entertainment agency, SM Entertainment, is currently under investigation for allegedly evading tens of billions of won in taxes, The National Tax Service announced Thursday. According to news reports, the agency is suspected of having established “paper companies” in Hong Kong using famous artists’ names in order to avoid reporting the profits earned from performances overseas. The Seoul tax authorities have now launched a formal investigation into the agency’s finances and
March 20, 2014
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Kim Jang-hoon to hold special exhibit on former sex slaves in Shanghai
South Korean pop singer Kim Jang-hoon will hold a special exhibition of photos depicting Korean women forced into sex slavery by the Japanese military during World War II as part of his upcoming art show in Shanghai, his management agency said Thursday.Kim plans to hold the art show on South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo from April 17-26 at the Korean cultural center in Shanghai to help raise the Chinese people’s awareness that Dokdo is part of South Korea.The singer will add the special e
March 20, 2014
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2 CDs of rarities mark Sheldon Harnick’s birthday
NEW YORK (AP) ― Sheldon Harnick has done some extensive spring cleaning and come up with a two-CD box set of very rare tunes. Harbinger Records said Wednesday it will release “Sheldon Harnick: Hidden Treasures, 1949-2013” on May 1 in conjunction with the Tony- and Grammy Award-winning lyricist and writer’s 90th birthday. The set will include some 53 demos and songs cut from 17 shows featuring such singers as Audra McDonald, Brian d’Arcy James, Hugh Martin, Charlotte Rae and Sheldon’s wife, actre
March 20, 2014
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‘We Got Married ― Global Edition’ Season 2 to air in April
Korean and foreign celebrities have joined hands to show viewers both at home and abroad what it is like to marry a person from another culture.Major South Korean broadcaster MBC and SM Entertainment are jointly launching the second season of “We Got Married ― Global Edition” in April.“We Got Married” is a television show that sets up celebrities in hypothetical marriages and shows how they live as “married couples” over the course of 15 episodes. The global edition of the show will feature both
March 20, 2014
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Tax agency launches investigation into SM Entertainment
South Korea's tax office said Thursday it has launched an investigation into the country's largest entertainment agency amid rumors of offshore tax evasion by the company that manages some of the top K-pop celebrities. The National Tax Service (NTS) recently sent dozens of auditors to the headquarters of SM Entertainment located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, to secure accounting books and other financial records, according to the NTS and company officials. SM Entertainment is the country's leading
March 20, 2014
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Dreaming ‘the ultimate hallyu’
Investing in a country’s image abroad can be a costly wager. While it requires a well-coordinated strategy on various levels and dimensions, an army of skilled and passionate country marketers, and most importantly, sufficient time and money, there is no guarantee of measurable success, given its elusive target: global citizens. Yet, Won Yong-gi, Korea’s chief PR man, has a clear vision and ideas to realize it. “In the past, we may have lacked the substance (to show to the world.) But now we hav
March 19, 2014
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Apartments, dream home for Koreans
Among many features that define the cityscape of Seoul, one thing makes the capital distinct. That’s the gray skyline along row after row of near identical concrete apartments.The sea of concrete high rises stemmed from a public housing project initiated in the 1970s to accommodate the mounting urban population efficiently. It has now become the type of residence most preferred by a majority of Seoul citizens.An exhibition at Seoul Museum of History takes the audience on a journey through the hi
March 19, 2014
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Award-winning film ‘Han Gong-ju’ to hit local theaters
Filmmaker Lee Su-jin’s first feature film “Han Gong-ju” is finally hitting local theaters after scooping up awards at international film festivals, including Rotterdam and Deauville.The film tells the tale of a traumatized teen sexual-assault victim, who is forced to change schools and leaves her family. It had its world premiere at the Marrakech International Film Festival in November, and won the top prize there, given by a Martin Scorsese-headed jury. It also nabbed the Tiger Award, which is
March 19, 2014
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Sunye of Wonder Girls to head to Haiti for missionary work
Sunye, the leader of the Wonder Girls, has announced that she will head to Haiti to carry out missionary work there for five years with her husband through their self-established NGO “Whitestone Global.”Sunye broke the news on the group’s official fan website on Tuesday by uploading a personal statement that explained her reasons for moving to the Caribbean nation with her missionary husband James Park.“During a short week that I spent volunteering in Haiti while living abroad, the direction of
March 19, 2014
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Subscriptions woo fans back from pirated music
LONDON (AFP) ― Fans are increasingly willing to pay for digital music through subscription streaming services rather than downloading it illegally for free, according to an upbeat report published Tuesday.Revenues from services such as Spotify or Deezer rose 51 percent in 2013, breaking through the symbolic $1 billion barrier for the first time, according to music industry group IFPI’s annual digital music report.More than 28 million people worldwide now pay a regular fee to access a library of
March 19, 2014
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Yukio Ninagawa stages ‘Musashi’ in Seoul
Yukio Ninagawa, a Japanese theater director best known for his Japanese adaptations of Shakespeare plays and Greek tragedies, is presenting his Japanese Zen comedy-drama “Musashi” in Seoul this month. “I guess I am known as the director who interprets Shakespeare plays in a very Japanese way,” the director told reporters during a press conference in Seoul. “But with ‘Musashi,’ I wanted to do something that does not rely on Shakespeare (and his scripts).”The upcoming show is Ninagawa’s second pie
March 18, 2014
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‘Avengers’ sequel to film in Seoul
Some scenes from the sequel to Hollywood blockbuster “The Avengers” will be filmed in and around Seoul from March 30-April 9.U.S.-based Marvel Studios signed a memorandum of understanding with the related Korean authorities on Tuesday regarding filming dates and six locations ― five in Seoul and one in its outskirts ― for “The Avengers: Age of Ultron.” The five locations in Seoul are Cheongdam Grand Bridge, a northern road in Digital Media City in Sangam-dong, Gangnam Boulevard, Mapo Grand Bridg
March 18, 2014
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Paraguay group of poor kids turns garbage into sweet melodies
ASUNCION (AFP) ― Parents all over the world often complain about their children’s music being garbage. For one group of poor kids in Paraguay, however, who have found international fame by forming an orchestra which uses instruments built from trash, it is quite literally true. The Orchestra of Recycled Instruments of Cateura will mark another notable chapter in their history this week when they will be the opening act for U.S. heavy metal band Metallica on a six-nation South American tour. “It
March 18, 2014
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Super Junior-M to unveil new album in China
A unit of the K-pop boy band Super Junior will make a comeback this week by releasing its new album in Chinese-speaking countries, the group’s management agency said Tuesday.Super Junior-M will upload its third EP, titled “Swing,” to various online music services in China on Friday, SM Entertainment said.It is the third and most successful subgroup of the 13-member boy band Super Junior and consists of Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, Eunhyuk, Henry and Zhou Mi.“Swing” is the first album to be
March 18, 2014
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John Lennon drawings, poems coming up for auction
NEW YORK (AFP) ― The biggest private collection of John Lennon drawings, poems and prose ever to go to market will be sold by Sotheby’s in New York on June 4, the international auction house said Monday.The items comprise the original material that appeared in two books by the late Beatle ― “In His Own Write,” published 50 years ago this year, and “A Spaniard in the Works” that hit the best-seller lists in 1965.Among the 89 lots is a satirical guide to Lennon’s hometown, Liverpool valued at $12,
March 18, 2014
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Short skirts and new beats: 4minute makes return with ‘4minute World’
The five starlets of 4minute, with many buzzing about HyunA’s attention-grabbing, see-through miniskirt and the group’s new sexy choreography, made their return official with their fifth EP, “4minute World,” on Monday. The group performed the title track “Whatcha Doin’ Today” for the first time at a showcase held on the Garden Stage at Lotte World Monday night. The single was composed and written by popular hit-making producer Brave Brothers and reached No. 1 on nine local real-time charts, incl
March 18, 2014
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Seoul to close some roads for filming 'The Avengers'
The Seoul metropolitan city said Tuesday that it will restrict traffic in roads near the city's landmarks for half a month starting later this month for the filming of the sequel of the 2012 Hollywood blockbuster "The Avengers."Major scenes of the superhero sequel titled "Avengers: Age of Ultron" will be shot in the South Korean capital under a memorandum of understanding signed by the Korean Film Commission and four related government authorities, and the Burbank, Calif.-based Marvel Studios.Un
March 18, 2014
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Cheonggyecheon frozen in time
Photographer J. Ahn, who has chronicled the changing scenery along the Cheonggyecheon Stream with her camera, is exhibiting her work at the Sejong Art Center’s Museum of Art starting Wednesday.Though she has photographed cities such as New York, Paris and Havana, Ahn said, she has always been fascinated by the back alleys of the belatedly redeveloped section of downtown Seoul. “The back alleys of Cheonggycheon had many beautiful and profound colors. A single color isn’t enough to depict them. I’
March 17, 2014